In 1956 French and British fighter jets attacked Egypt during the Arab-Israeli war that year. One of their aims was to silence the Cairo radio broadcasts; and they did so successfully. However, as soon as Cairo went silent, the Damascus broadcasts from Syria announced, “From Damascus…. This is Cairo!” This gesture was a demonstration of solidarity made by Syria in support of that silenced voice.

This is a status being posted on today in solidarity with the approximately 20 Million Syrians whose voices have been silenced due to the Assad regime’s decision to disconnect the country from the Internet.

Those were the times when mothers produced great sons. Sultan Abdulhamid II showed great sensitivity in the matter of Palestine and put forth a very cautious and prudent approach in the face of the hopes and desires of the Jews which at first glance seemed innocent. In 1901 Sultan Abdulhamid II said to Theodore Hertzl who offered to pay the entire foreign debt of the Ottomans in return for Palestinian land:

“I cannot give away a handful of the soil of this land for it is not my own, it is for all the Islamic Nation that fought for the sake of this land and watered it with their blood. We will cover it once more with our blood, before we allow it to be torn from us. The Jews may keep their millions. If this State is one day destroyed then they will be able to take Palestine without a price. But while I am alive, I would rather push a sword into my body than see the land of Palestine cut and given away from the State. This is something that will not be, I will not start cutting our bodies while we are alive!”

He also took serious measures to eliminate this most dangerous of dangers. Knowing what we know today we can better understand the foresight and prudence of Sultan Abdulhamid II.

To this day, the most popular name for boys in Palestine is Abdulhamid. The Palestinians honour him with the words: “We are the orphans of Sultan Abdulhamid”.